Blog

How do you turn $41 into over $2,000? Courts across Washington and throughout the U.S. have figured out how to turn small fines for routine traffic violations and other non-violent infractions into major debts for individuals without the means to pay. HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver recently examined this subject, noting the ways in which differences in race and income levels are creating two justice systems: one for the rich and one for the poor.
Read More »

The Washington Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that courts must take into consideration a defendant’s ability to pay before imposing discretionary legal financial obligations (LFOs). The ruling represents a significant step towards reforming a system that traps people in a cycle of poverty and incarceration.
Read More »

Breanne Schuster went to college planning to be a doctor. But a pre-med class on the Evolution of Physiology at the University of Wisconsin helped change her mind. “We got into disparities in health care based on race and income. I realized that’s what I wanted to do – policy work,” she recalled.
Read More »

Three years ago, when she was finishing her internship as an ACLU-WA Intake and Referral Counselor, Kelly Anderson already knew she wanted to come back. Then a U.W. Social Work major, she liked listening to and talking with individuals, and helping them work through their legal problems.
Read More »

On top of a full course load and student leadership roles at Seattle University Law School, Claire McNamara has joined the team at the ACLU of Washington. As a legal extern this term, Claire will assist staff attorneys with research, trial preparation and writing memoranda covering a wide range of issues – including public records law, mental health, and criminal justice.
Read More »

This op-ed first appeared in the Opinion section of the Seattle Times. As medical marijuana heads back to Olympia, legislators are bracing for a rerun of last session’s drama of makeshift dispensary operators and self-appointed patient advocates decrying any effort to rein in abuses of the law.
Read More »

Recent public outcry for police accountability and reform has been sparked by an epidemic of police violence targeted disproportionately at people of color. Advocacy groups, the public, and the president alike have touted body worn cameras as a potential cure for police misconduct. If officers wear cameras, runs the thinking, we would have a clear visual record of what actually happened and who was at fault in disputed encounters with civilians.
Read More »

Regardless of whether you have been pregnant or not, chances are you can recite the long list of things to avoid in pregnancy: alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, deli meats, unpasteurized cheese, and the list go on.
Read More »

Blog Archives

We have revised the ACLU of Washington Privacy Statement because we want to clarify and provide more information about our collection, use and protection of information collected on this website, particularly as technology has evolved. In addition to clarifying our collection practices, the revisions include a description of our use of Short-Term Cookies.